Combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir together to blend. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.To make the cookie dough filling, combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. To fill the cupcakes, cut a cone-shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake with a sharp knife. Fill each hole with a chunk of the cookie dough mixture.To make the frosting, beat together the butter and brown sugar until creamy. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Beat in the flour and salt. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.Frost the filled cupcakes as desired and sprinkle with mini-chocolate chips.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Dough:In bread mixer put ½ cup warm water, add 3 tbsp. yeast and sprinkle 1 tbsp. sugar over the yeast. Add the following to the bowl:1 cup instant potato flakes 1 cup instant milk1 tbsp. salt 1/3 cup oil1/3 cup honey 1 eggTurn on bread mixer and after ingredients are mixed add 2¾ cup water. Slowly add flour (6-8 cups) until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Do not add too much flour or your dough will be too stiff. Grease dough with butter. Put your dough in a greased bowl and cover with a towel and put in a warm place. Let raise until double in bulk.Roll out a quarter of the dough in a rectangle the size of a cookie sheet and then transfer to the cookie sheet before putting the toppings on. Down the middle third of the dough layer 3 oz. cream cheese, 1/2 cup salsa (don't use too much or it will make the bottom soggy), 1 lb. ground turkey or beef (pre-cooked and seasoned with taco seasoning), 1/3 cup black beans and cheese to cover. With a pizza cutter, cut strips about one and a half inches apart down each side and then wrap the sections over the top alternating sides. Let raise another 20 minutes.Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Recipe makes four braids. You can freeze uncooked braids. Let them defrost and raise for four-five hours. Bake as above. NOTE: These are yummy made with peanut butter and jelly. You can slice them up and put them in kids lunches. You can also layer pizza sauce, pepperoni and cheese. Be creative and come up with your own combinations.

Sauce:1 can sweet and condensed milk1/2 cup heavy whipping cream1/4 cup butterIn a saucepan combine all ingredients. Cook over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir constantly. (There is less chance of burning if you use a double boiler). Serve over cobbler.

How to play this game:1. Copy the riddles on card stock paper.2. Buy or make ten gifts for each birthday person. They should each have the same gifts and the gifts that match each other need to be wrapped in matching wrapping paper. Hide one set of gifts. (If you are celebrating more than two birthdays hide all the gifts except for one set.)3. A designated person reads the riddles. The birthday person that has the answer first grabs a token object. If they get the answer wrong they are the loser of that round. If they get the answer right they are the winner. The loser has to find a hidden gift while the winner simply picks one from the basket. Have the winner open the matching present and have them open the presents at the same time. Read another riddle to start the next round.You can download birthday riddlesHERE atParties and Patterns.

Monday, July 4, 2011

One half gallon green ice cream, softened (I used Chocolate Chip Mint)One half gallon pink ice cream, softened (I used strawberry and added red food coloring) Chocolate ChipsLine a deep rounded bowl with plastic wrap. This is optional, but it is so easy to lift the ice cream out of the bowl. Line the inside of the bowl with the green ice cream. Spoon the pink ice cream on top of the green ice cream and smooth the top. Freeze until ready to eat. To serve, cut ice cream into slices and decorate with chocolate chips for the seeds. The combination of mint and strawberry sounds odd, but everyone loved it.